Kitten With Broken Jaw Saved Thanks To A Creative Use Of Buttons

Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor

Sep 8, 2020 10:00 AM EDT

Three weeks ago, an adorable 5-week-old kitten was brought into Albuquerque Animal Welfare for emergency surgery with her face and jaw crushed. The kitten - Mittens - had to go through multiple surgeries, but unfortunately, in the beginning, they weren't enough. Since multiple surgeries were too expensive for the shelter to cover, the veterinarians that were treating Mittens offered to do the rest of the treatment for free and, in the process, came up with a new, innovative way to help Mittens, using... buttons.

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via Jami Seymore KRQE News 13

As reported by Jami Seymore on KRQE News 13, the doctors can't say exactly what caused such a trauma to happen to Mittens. According to them, this could have happened in multiple ways - "falling down from a high balcony, being hit by a car or thrown through a car window, which often happens." In any way, Mittens had a crushed face and jaw, and even after the initial surgeries, the poor kitten couldn't close her jaw enough to eat properly. Believing that there was more going on, the doctors looked into Mittens' case further and found that Mittens now had issues in the TMJ area of her jaw, which required more surgery.
via Jami Seymore KRQE News 13

For this many surgeries, sadly, even with the donations to the Angel Fund, Animal Welfare did not have the resources, but luckily, the specialists helping Mittens decided to continue the treatment for free. The senior veterinarian with Albuquerque Animal Welfare, Nicole Vigil, told KRQE News 13: "The veterinarians and specialists in this area, the way they support the shelter, just lifts your heart and makes you so excited to come to work every day because there's no one to speak for these little guys," and we agree.
via Jami Seymore KRQE News 13

To help Mittens, the doctors came up with an incredibly innovative solution - buttons. "They actually used buttons to hold her jaw together and closed for a bit to allow it to heal," Dr. Vigil explained. "The buttons basically worked as stabilizers so some suture could hold her jaw closed." Though Dr. Vigil said that she had never seen a treatment like this before, she's happy to add that it seems to be working. "Even though she had her jaw basically wired pretty shut, it was open just enough to allow her to eat, and she ate like a champ," Dr. Vigil said. "She's really growing now and successfully healing."
Mittens at 8-weeks-old

via KRQE News 13

Now 8-weeks-old, Mittens is healing and growing, and will be available for adoption in 3-4 weeks, and we are so, so happy that this story and this kitten has a happy ending. We hope Mittens will keep growing strong and find a lovely forever home, and to the incredible doctors who helped Mittens, we send the deepest thank you and wish the very best. For another heartwarming story with great vet heroes, you can take a look at this adorable green tea python who had to get braces.
via KRQE News 13
Facebook users are also really happy to see Mittens safe

via Linda K. Craig
via Molly Crosby